Abolish Article 370 for equal shares in J

Published: Monday, October 6, 2008, 15:06 [IST]

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Jammu, Oct 5 (UNI) Stressing on abolition of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) international general secretary Dr Praveen Togadia today said that its abrogation would help in equal development of all the three regions of state and also to get equal shares.

''All political parties should include the agenda of abolishing Article 370 from their manifestoes for the forthcoming Assembly elections for an equal power sharing in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh,'' Dr Togadia told reporters at a press conference here.

The VHP leader, however, asserted that Article 370 in the valley has given extreme power to the separatist forces to pursue their ideology in state as well in Centre.

Advocating the refugees of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), he maintained that both the Union and State governments should come forward and include refugees into the electoral process in the upcoming elections.

''The 24 seats of PoK should also be considered into the coming elections, thus, giving right to franchise to the refugees, who should also be given state subjects as PoK is an undisputed part of India,'' he underlined.

While comparing the extremism in the nation at par with the 'Islamic Jihad', he alleged, ''the pursuits of SIMI are directly linked with promoting militancy in the country, while the state sponsored fundamentalism in Kashmir is being done on the behest of the Pakistan'', he added.

He, meanwhile, hailed Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari's statement and expressed gratiende for identifying the root cause of state turmoil as terrorism.